


Strangers

by mishcakes



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, M/M, Pining!Keith, Slow Burn, broganes, shiro/allura is mostly background
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-11-01 02:24:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10912404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mishcakes/pseuds/mishcakes
Summary: After Keith was kicked out of his previous college and went to study with Shiro, he decided that he was done with friends. They've caused him more trouble than they're worth - or so Keith thought until he found a family through an unexpected source.EDIT: wont be continuing until shallura is taken out





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh boy this is purely self-indulgent but I'm uploading it because maybe then I'll actually complete a fic
> 
> also im not american and have no idea how american colleges or dorms work. my only experience with this is from 22 jump street so bear with me yo

“Shiro? Yeah, I’m here,” Keith stood lost, duffel bag swung over his shoulder. He looked around for any forms of signage but failed. Shiro’s directions to his dorm made no sense. “Where am I? I have no idea. Uhh, there’s a courtyard with some guys playing hacky sack because apparently this is the 70s.”

Shiro’s voice crackled from the other end of the phone, “When you got off the bus, did you face away from the road and head right?”

“Yes I headed- Ah, shit,” Keith sighed and mentally slapped himself.

“I thought that might have happened. You’re on the east side of the campus, I’m on the west. Stay there, I’ll be there soon.” Shiro didn’t even try to hide his amusement at his brother’s mistake. Keith was just distracted. He’d been kicked out of his previous college and had to move interstate to attend the only college that offered his course that would accept him. And Keith was almost certain that it was because Shiro had a hand in it.

He was also sure that Shiro was letting him bunk with him was because he wanted to keep an eye on him; make sure he didn’t get kicked out again. Shiro was always more of a father to Keith than a brother. It was like Shiro was the one who adopted Keith instead of his parents. He knew Shiro was disappointed when he got the news that Keith had been kicked out of his college for violence and aggression. He only wanted the best for Keith.

Keith looked around the courtyard and noticed a little coffee shop tucked into a building. He’d just spent 12 hours on a coach and could really use a pickup. He sent Shiro a text that he would be in the cafe and wandered over.

The shop was small and quiet, with a few people studying over coffee. He stepped up to the counter where a man perked to life, his smile turning into a grimace at the sight of Keith.

“Dude, you look like you just pulled four all-nighters. Man, you must really be cramming. What can I get ya? And should I make it a double?” The man smiled again, a bright and genuine smile.

“Just a black with no sugar, thanks.” Keith smiled dimly in return.

“Hardcore. You got it.” The man shot Keith finger guns before moving to the machine to complete Keith’s order.

“Here you go.” The man handed Keith his coffee along with a card. “Take this too. Bring this back and we’ll stamp it off next time you buy a drink. Fifth drink is free. Yeah, I know, it’s usually the tenth one, but we’re all broke here.”

“Thanks.” Keith had no intention of coming back but he took the card anyway. He wandered out to the bench outside the shop and sat down. He fiddled with the card, chuckling weakly at the heart stamp over the first box.

Eventually, Shiro arrived, and Keith downed the rest of his coffee and threw away the cup.

“What took you so long?” Keith teased, pleased to see Shiro.

“The campus is big, okay? You only think I walk slowly because when you walk, no one can keep up with you.” Shiro gave Keith a little shove. “It’s good to see you, though. I think you’ll do better here.”

“Yeah, now you can helicopter brother me.”

\---

The walk back to Shiro’s dorm consisted of Shiro pointing out places and buildings that Keith would never use. His plan was to go to his lectures, get a job, pass, and get out of here as soon as he could.  If he kept to himself, there wouldn’t be a repeat of last time.

Shiro’s dorm was on the third floor and overlooked the west side’s courtyard, although it looks pretty much identical to the one on the east side, save for a few more trees. Keith dumped his bag next to his bed and flopped down, rolling over to stare at the ceiling. He just wanted to sleep, but Shiro had other ideas.

“Come on, Keith. You need to get your timetable and talk to your professors about what you’ve missed. Do you need new textbooks? Have you got your ID card yet?”

“Shiro, I’ve been here for half an hour. Of course I haven’t done any of that yet. I’ll email my professors later when I go online to get my timetable, it’s the same course so I don’t need new books, and I need to sleep before I get an ID photo. When does admin shut?”

“It shuts at 5.” Shiro crossed his arms and stared down at Keith.

“Great. It’s noon. I’ll head down in a few hours.” Keith rolled over to face the wall, closing off the conversation. He heard Shiro sigh in defeat, drop Keith’s key on the nightstand and left the room.

He slept surprisingly well in the unfamiliar environment, but to be fair, he could have slept anywhere after that coach ride which left him more tired than it should’ve. He was woken abruptly by a loud crash that came from upstairs, followed by a loud curse.

Keith rolled back over and fumbled for his phone to get the time. It was quarter past three. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. He took a minute to take in his new home. Of course, Shiro had kept it in an immaculate condition. His bed was made, books stacked neatly on his desk, shoes lined up and clothing folded away. On top of Shiro’s nightstand stood a picture frame. Keith got up to retrieve it. It was a picture of the both of them from the day Keith was adopted. Shiro was smiling and had his arm wrapped around a frowning Keith.

“Some things never change.”

Keith jumped, almost dropping the picture. He didn’t hear Shiro come in.

“Allura wants me to help her study later on so I thought I’d take you to get your ID and show you where your classes are beforehand.”

Keith placed the picture back. “Sure thing.” Keith went to leave the room but was stopped before he could make it out the door.

“At least brush your hair first.”

\---

 

Keith was fortunate that his classes were all in the same area, which meant that Keith never had to venture far. He also didn’t have any classes on Wednesdays, which to anyone else would be great, but it just meant that Keith had a day where he was doing nothing. Sure, he could study, but there’s only so much studying one person can do in a day. He could hang out with Shiro to pass the time. It had been a while since they actually did anything together. Keith and Shiro were always very close. Shiro was able to read Keith like a book. He always knows when something’s up, and Shiro is the only person Keith can trust enough to confide in.

His first day of classes went smoothly. Turns out he was only one assignment behind in half of his classes, and the rest he was ahead of by a week or so. It wouldn’t take him long to catch up.

Keith was sitting on his bed reading the chapters assigned when Shiro came back, accompanied by a tall woman with long white hair.

“Keith, this is Allura. She’s in my physics class. We’re just going to be revising.” Shiro dumped his books on his bed and sat down next to them.

“Hello, Keith. It’s nice to finally meet you.” Allura followed Shiro’s lead and sat down next to the books. “Shiro’s told me all about you.”

“Yeah, I bet he has.” Keith glowered at Shiro, who gave a small shrug.

“It wasn’t your fault you were kicked out, you know.”

Keith’s gaze snapped back to Allura. “What?”

“I’m just saying, don’t beat yourself up about it. You’re here now. And from what Shiro’s told me, you’re a good person.” Allura offered a warm smile and Keith nodded gently, before returning back to his reading. Keith didn’t really want to think about that right now. Allura was right though, he was here now and that was what he was going to focus on.

Keith was disrupted from his study by his neglected stomach. He’d completely forgotten to eat. The only thing he’d had in the last day was the coffee. He looked up at Shiro, who was already looking at him. Keith knew Shiro knew he hadn’t eaten all day by the disapproving look plastered on his face.

“So, what do you do for food around here?”

“There’s a kitchen on the first floor, but that gets pretty disgusting. So if you make something, make sure to wash whatever you use first. There’s also a few take out places around. The closest ones are the burger place and the salad bar in the next building over. I was going to order pizza for Allura and myself if you want that?”

“Yeah, okay. I’ll still go for a walk though.” Keith marked his page and stood up in search of his jacket. He pulled it on and headed out the door.

“I’ll be ordering in half an hour but we’ll leave you some if you’re not back,” Shiro called after Keith.

Keith headed down and out to the courtyard that his dorm overlooks. The sunset left an orange glow on everything. He wandered over to where Shiro said the salad bar was, then over to the burger bar. He wandered for a little while longer, finding a sushi place and another café, which he must admit didn’t look as inviting as the one on the east side.

He was on his way back when he received a text from Shiro that the pizza had arrived, and Keith’s stomach growled at the thought of food. He quickened his pace, his mind now overtaken by his empty stomach.

His room smelled of pizza when he walked in, and Shiro and Allura had abandoned revision in favour of watching a movie. Shiro patted the bed next to him for Keith to come and join, and he did. He reached over and stole the box of pizza and ate while they watched some lame horror movie.

Allura left when the movie finished, and Keith hopped over to his own bed. He sat cross-legged and looked at Shiro.

“What?” Shiro asked hesitantly, noticing the stare.

“You like her.”

“What? No, I don’t. She’s just a friend.” Shiro sat, mimicking his brother.

“Shiro, you can read me. But I can read you too. And the way you look at her isn’t how you look at your friends. She’s nice though, I like her.”

“She is, isn’t she?” Shiro’s smiled at the thought, but that changed when realisation dawned on him. “Oh my god, I like her.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Keith smiled. “I think she likes you too.”


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Keith woke up a bit later than usual. It was a Wednesday, meaning he had no classes, so it didn’t matter much. Shiro had already left, his bed made and pyjamas folded. He flopped back on his back and stared at the ceiling again, this time tracing the marks and stains with his eyes.

The gentle sound of an acoustic guitar filtered into the room. It was fairly muted by the distance and the closed window, but Keith could still hear the elegant flamenco filling the courtyard below. It was soft and slow, perfect for the morning. Keith let his eyes fall shut and the rhythm lull him back to sleep.

When he awoke, the music had stopped. He reached for his phone to check the time. 11:15am. He’d fallen back to sleep for almost three hours. He still had the whole day ahead of him though, but he had no idea what he should do. He thought about exploring more of the campus, but at this time of day it would be crawling with other students, and Keith didn’t really feel like much social interaction. He opened his phone to message Shiro.

**_K: What’s there to do here?_ **

**_S: Not much. You can go study in the courtyards of cafes. Or you could take a bus into town. Take my bus pass if you go. It’s in my top draw._ **

**_K: I think I will. Thanks._ **

That settles what to do. He’ll go into town, maybe buy some food while he’s there. But first, he’d shower. It was mid-morning so the showers should be relatively empty and he could take is time. Let the warm water wash over him and work out some of the stress of transferring.

It wasn’t until he got down to the showers that he realised he didn’t have any shampoo or soap. He made a mental note to pick some up while he was out. He wasn’t too fussed. The water cleaned him well enough and his hair could go another day without a wash.

He caught himself in the reflection of the mirror as he stepped out of the shower, clad in his towel. He stepped forward, closer to the mirror to examine himself. He noticed that his scar on his left shoulder was more prominent than it was before, or at least he was noticing it more than he used to. He frowned and subconsciously covered the scar from sight with his hand, leaving the showers to head back to change.

He noticed that his pants were wearing a little thin when he pulled them on, struggling slightly with his skin still damp. Looks like he’d be spending a little more than he thought he would be and added jeans to his shopping list. Maybe he could find an op shop in town so he didn’t have to blow his savings on jeans.

He found Shiro’s bus pass and also a printed timetable. He pulled it out and unfolded it, searching for the bus he needs. Lucky for him, one came in twenty minutes from the interchange which was on the west side of campus. It should be easy enough for Keith to find; down past the courtyard, past the arts centre and beyond the campus carpark.

It, however, was not easy, and Keith ended up circling the arts centre for a shameful amount of times. After eventually finding the path that leads to the carpark, he made it to the bus just as it was about to leave.

The town wasn’t far from the campus, nearly a 15 minute car ride, but since he was on a public bus, it took him twice as long to arrive in the centre of town. The town was fairly small, with all the shops he needed relatively close to each other. He wandered around for a bit before finding a supermarket to buy his shampoo and soap, as well as a few food items. He didn’t find a second-hand store and decided that new jeans can wait, considering the ones he saw in storefronts were upwards of $50.

He ended up in a small café opposite his bus stop. He ordered his usual but was surprised when a familiar face walked in when he was waiting for his order.

“Oh, hey! It’s you,” The man chirped, noticing Keith. “You look a lot better now. Did you pass your whatever it was you were cramming for?”

Keith was confused at the man’s question, but remembered back to when he was being served his coffee by him. Keith had looked like shit and he assumed that he was cramming. “Oh, yeah. I did,” Keith played along, not really wanting small talk.

The man ordered and turned back to Keith. “I’m Lance,” the man said, and leaned nonchalantly on the counter.

“Keith.”

It was clear to Keith that Lance was too friendly for his liking, still continuing to carry a conversation through Keith’s stunted answers. “So, what are you doing in town?”

“Just shopping.” Keith lifted the bag of groceries in emphasis.

“Yeah, it’d be nice if the campus had better stores, then I wouldn’t have to spend half my day off on a bus just to get a guitar string.” Lance rolled his eyes at his statement and Keith vaguely smiled in polite agreement.

Keith’s order was called, saving him from further conversation with Lance. He took his coffee and nodded goodbye, heading out to wait for his bus to return to campus. He didn’t have to wait long, and luckily enough for him, Lance didn’t get on the same bus as him. Lance wasn’t too bad, he guessed. And he was surprised that he remembered Keith, but now wasn’t the time for friends.

By the time he arrived back to his dorm, Shiro was also back. He was sat at his desk with books and sheets of paper sprawled out all over it. He turned to greet Keith, but Keith stood dead in his tracks at the sight of Shiro.

“What?”

Keith’s face broke into a grin. “You wear glasses?”

“Yes,” Shiro deadpanned. “I need them when I study.”

“You look like such a dork. Do you want suspenders to go with them?” Keith teased and placed the bag on his bed to unpack it.

“Hey, have you seen what people wear? Suspenders are trendy,” Shiro defended.

“Not on you, they’re not.” See? Keith didn’t need friends. He had Shiro, and that was enough for him.

“Wow, I missed you too.” Shiro went back to his study and Keith opened his laptop to finish off an assignment.

\---

The rest of the week went by smoothly. A rhythm was setting in for him: attend lectures, study, wander the campus, and sleep. He asked the salad bar if they were hiring and he was told to check back in a month. He got the same response from the burger bar. There were other on-campus places he could work at but they were further away, so he’d ask next time he was near them. Although, he would probably get the same response. It was the second semester and most jobs had already been taken at the start of semester one.

Keith had a class on Saturday because the weekday classes were all full. Keith wasn’t bothered by this, it just meant he had something to do on a Saturday.

He got back to his dorm after his lesson and flopped down on his bed. He didn’t know what to do with himself here. In his free time, Keith used to visit the gym on his old campus. Here didn’t have a gym. The only one he saw was in town and he really didn’t feel like catching a bus to go work out in his free time. He could always do a few push-ups and a few sit-ups on the floor.

He was about to roll off his bed to start doing some floor work out when the sound of a guitar with familiar picking and soothing melody. It was louder and clearer this time though because Shiro had opened the window. Keith’s work out could wait. He closed his eyes and let the melody wash over him. A cool breeze brushed his face from the open window. He cleared his mind, focusing on the music and breeze kissing his face. He felt at peace. He felt a new form of calm. He had nothing better to do, so he let himself drift off to sleep.

\---

Keith was woken by a text from Shiro.

**_S: You really need a job. All you do is sleep xD If you feel like it, Allura is having a movie night if you want something to do._ **

**_K: Okay, first of all, don’t “XD” me ever again and second, where is it?_ **

Keith figured there was no harm in joining them. It’s not like he has other plans. Besides, he was probably going to be seeing a lot more of Allura anyway.

**_S: I’m heading there after work but I’ll come get you first._ **

It’s not that Keith didn’t like Allura – he thought she was nice and she made Shiro’s face light up like he’d never seen, but he didn’t feel like he fit in with her and Shiro and the rest of their friends. He did think Coran's accent was amusing though. He sat on his phone most of the night, occasionally glancing up at whatever film was playing. They tried to include Keith in their conversations, and he appreciated their efforts, but he found the conversations dwindling off into an awkward silence. The most decent conversation he had was a short one with Matt about aircrafts and piloting. Turns out Matt is a third year for aviation, which is convenient for Keith if he ever needs help. With time things would change, and he would settle and become more comfortable around Shiro's friends, but for the moment, Keith will stick to spending his nights walking the campus or hauled up in his dorm.

They had invited Keith back to hang out with them the next night, but Keith declined the offer. He was never much of a social being as it was anyway. He didn’t have many friends at his previous school, and they weren’t really friends either – more or less acquaintances and people who he’d ask for notes if he didn’t attend. Keith was quiet and reserved and always kept to himself. But even so, he still managed to get kicked out.

Keith groaned at his thoughts and slumped on his bed. He watched Shiro fumble for something under his bed, then emerge with an extra blanket which he threw at Keith.

"It's supposed to get cold tonight and I don't have a heater anymore. You can thank Matt for that." Shiro pulled up another spare for himself.

"Thanks."

"I'm hanging with Allura again tomorrow and you're welcome to join us. It's good to see you getting out though."

If Keith wanted to feel awkward he'd go out and try to make his own friends. "No, thanks though, but I think I've had enough social interaction to last a year."

\----

When Keith woke the next morning, Shiro was gone. Even after a late night Shiro always rose early. Except Keith couldn't tell if Shiro actually had gotten up early as his clock read 11:23 am. Oh well, it's not like he had anything planned anyway.

After a shower, Keith returned to his room. He sat on his bed and stared at his phone. He couldn’t sit around in his room all day, it would drive him mad. He was up to date on all his assignments due to him spending the majority of his time in his dorm and he now had nothing to do. He paced back and forth in the room until something caught his eye. The corner of a bright blue card that poked out the top of his wallet. He pulled it out and examined it. It was the card he got from that guy Lance at the café. He stared at the card, flicking it through his fingers, debating how bored he was.

Keith sighed and gave into his boredom, slipping the card into his pocket along with some loose change. What harm could it do to get out of his dorm? He headed back to the east side of campus, crossing from familiar to unfamiliar surroundings. He remembered back to when he ran into Lance in town, and how happy Lance was to see him even though they'd only met once before. It was odd to Keith that someone could appear to be that happy about seeing someone again - happy about seeing him again, even though he thought Lance was very in-your-face about it. Lance seemed to be a positive person, and Keith had to admit it had an effect on him. It made him feel somewhat warm. That smile that was so real when Lance recognised him and the joy in his tone as he conversed with Keith. Thinking back, Keith felt kind of bad for shunning Lance like he did. Lance was just being nice.

So when Keith pushed open the door, he was a little disappointed when the man who turned to greet him wasn't Lance.

"Good morning! What can I get you?" He was taller and larger than Keith was and his smile beamed just as brightly as Lance's did. Was everyone on this side of campus do damn happy all the time?

Keith placed his order and handed over his change. The cafe smelled different this time. It smelled like cinnamon and it made Keith's nose sing as he breathed it in. The man must have noticed, because he spoke as he made Keith's order, "There's a fresh batch of muffins about to come out of the oven. Can I interest you in one? It's an old family recipe."

Keith wanted to say no and head back to his dorm, but his stomach would never forgive him for walking out on something that smelled so good. He was slightly disappointed that Lance wasn't there to serve him, but the promise of fresh muffins made the trip feel worth it. "Sure."

Keith took his coffee and watched as the man disappeared behind a door, only to reappear a minute later with a tray of giant cinnamon muffins. The man laughed at Keith when he subconsciously licked his lips at the sight. He pulled one out and handed it to Keith on a blue napkin. "On the house. You look like you could use more food."

"Thanks," Keith smiled and held the muffin close to his nose. "Oh!" Keith remembered the card he tucked away in his pocket and pulled it out. Keith could actually see himself coming back here sometime soon. "I have this."

The man took the card and pulled a stamp from the pocket in his apron, stamped it, and handed it back. "Guess that means you'll be back," the man winked at Keith, which confused him a little, but he brushed it aside in favour leaving to eating the muffin on his walk back to his side of the campus.

Keith nibbled and picked at the surprisingly delicious muffin on his walk back. The midday sun shone warmly on his face and warmed his core. He made a mental note to himself to make sure he left his dorm more often. Sure it was safe and he was away from the world, but the sun and the breeze cleared his mind better than a nap ever could. The idle chit chat and laughter of other students filled the silence as he walked, lost in his own thoughts.

"Keith!" A voice called across the courtyard - _when did I get to the courtyard?_ \- shaking him from his mind.

Keith looked around for the source and the voice called his name again. His attention was caught by an arm waving in the air. An arm that was attached to Lance. He was sat under a tree with a container of salad sitting in his lap. Lance stopped waving once he caught Keith's attention and patted the ground next to him, encouraging Keith to join him. Keith wanted to decline and head back to his room, but something about Lance's enthusiasm towards seeing Keith drew him in. Besides, he probably shouldn't be rude this time, he should at least humour the guy.

"Dude, did Hunk make muffins? Aw, he always makes them on my days off," Lance pouted, looking up at the muffin in Keith's hand.

"Is it maybe because you eat them all? Wait. How did u know that's where I went?"

"Hey! You don't know me. And I only eat some! Not all." Lance tossed a piece of tomato into his mouth and continued as he chewed. "Also, I knew where you went because those are the cups I designed." Lance patted the ground next to him again for Keith to sit, which he finally did, bringing them to eye level. "What brings you to this side of the campus?"

Keith continued to pick at his muffin, which by now had lost most of its fresh warmth. It didn't lose any of its flavour though. Hunk, from what Lance had said, must really know his shit. "This is where my dorm is - that one, actually," He gestured to the building in front of them, "And most of my classes."

"Wait really? I'm in that dorm too! How have I never seen you around before?" Lance looked almost shocked that he'd never seen Keith before this week. But then again, it wouldn't be a surprise if Lance was at least acquaintances with everyone in his dorm, judging by how friendly he is.

"I'm a transfer. I've only been here a week." Keith never took his eyes off the muffin he picked at, shame and guilt filling his stomach. He prayed that Lance would ask any more on that subject.

Lance must've got the message. Either that or he didn't care. "That explains that then. Do you know anyone here? Any friends?"

"Just my brother. I'm sharing a dorm with him." He looked up at Lance, who was watching him with bright and curious eyes.

"Do you know anyone else?"

Bright and curious turned concerned when Keith answered. "No, not really. I've met Shiro's friends but I wouldn't consider them mine."

"Huh." Lance frowned at Keith then checked the time. "Hey, I have a class in 20 minutes so I gotta run, but I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, see you around." Lance grinned at Keith and pushed himself up, taking his container and stealing a bit of Keith's muffin.

Keith's grunt of disapproval did nothing and he watched Lance eat the piece of muffin, flashing Keith a teasing smile before walking away. Keith leaned back against the tree and watched as Lance disappeared into the building.  Lance was Keith's opposite; he was outgoing and vibrant, friendly and loud. He wasn't exactly someone Keith saw himself talking to on a regular basis, but aside from the food stealing, maybe Lance wasn't too bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank god i saved all my course guide books i spent more time researching courses for these guys than i did myself


	3. Chapter 3

 He was in the middle of writing up an assignment when there was a knock on his door. Keith groaned and pushed his laptop aside, getting up to answer the door. It was probably one of Shiro’s friends returning something or whatever.

He was surprised, however, when it wasn’t one of Shiro’s friends who had knocked, but Lance. Holding a laptop and a shopping bag full of stuff, with a giant smile on his face.

“Lance? What are you doing here?”

“Uh, duh? Movie night. What does it look like?” Lance pushed past Keith and stepped inside without invitation. “You have no friends and I have extra snacks so here I am. Also you look like you’ve never seen Star Wars so...”

“How did you find my dorm?” Keith shut the door and turned to Lance, arms folded.

“I ran into Shiro and I told him I was your new friend,” Lance stood in the centre of the room but let his eyes wander and inspect it. “He was more than willing to give me the number and he also told me that you weren’t busy tonight.”

_Damn it, Shiro. Wait._ “And how do you know Shiro?”

“Well, you mentioned him and I knew that name sounded familiar, and turns out he tutored me for about a month back in my first year to help me get ready for my exam. I passed because of him.” Lance pointed to Keith’s bed and gestured between it and the laptop, asking silently if that was Keith’s bed.

Keith realised that he wasn’t getting rid of Lance. And Shiro knew Lance to some extent, so he must’ve approved of him when he gave Lance Keith’s schedule. He nodded and Lance planed the laptop down and tipped out the bag of snacks. Chocolate bars and candy and chips fell into a pile on the middle of the bed and Lance drew the curtains and settled on Keith’s bed, making himself at home. Lance’s confidence in his actions caught Keith’s attention. He should be offended by Lance barging in, but he was more impressed than anything. He could never barge in and make himself at home in a stranger’s space.

But Lance clearly didn’t consider Keith a stranger. He acted as if they’d known each other for years.

“Well?” Lance questioned since Keith was still standing at the door. Lance watched him as he walked over to the bed and sat down on the other side of the snack pile.

“Was I right?” Lance asked as he set up the film.

“About…?”

“You not having seen Star Wars.”

“Yeah. Never seen it.” Keith was not prepared for the speech Lance gave him about how it’s the greatest series in existence, but Keith found it somewhat endearing how passionate Lance was about it. Keith never cared about something like that.

Keith enjoyed the movie, maybe not to the extent that Lance did, but he did think it was good. And Lance made sure he didn’t miss any good bits. “Oh Keith! This is a good bit!” and “Oh dude, good bit!” He could tell Lance was having a hard time keeping quiet because he exploded once the movie finished with questions and theories and the whole nine yards.

“-But the real question here is,” Lance paused for dramatic effect, “Did you like it?”

Lance sat expectantly in wait of Keith’s answer. Even is Keith didn’t like it, he wouldn’t dare say it. He’s pretty sure he’d crush Lance. “Yeah, I did.”

Lance practically bounced at Keith’s response. “Great! There’s seven more!”

Seven. Wow. That means at least seven more of these movie nights. Eh, Keith could find himself in worse company. Lance had the ability to not let an uncomfortable air settle over them, which was a nice contrast when compared to Keith and Shiro’s friends.

“So, I have to go now, but don’t think that I won’t be back with the next movie.” Lance took his laptop and stood up. Keith followed and opened the door for Lance. “You can keep the snacks. Oh! Wait, I almost forgot.” Lance ran back and rummaged over Keith’s desk and wrote something down on a sticky note. “Here.” Lance pulled the page from the stack and stuck it to Keith’s chest. As he walked out the room.

“Catch ya!” Lance bounced down the corridor and Keith called out a “goodbye” after him.

Keith pulled the sticky note from his chest to examine it. It read: “For a good time, call-” and had Lance’s number below it. Keith couldn’t help but smile at the joke.

He shut the door and sat back on his bed and stared at the remains of the night. “Huh.”

+++

“Oh, shit.”

It was 9:15, and Keith should have been at his lecture fifteen minutes ago. Instead, he was jumping out of bed, making a dash to gather his clothes and stuff for his lecture.

Typical. The one lesson he’s required to attend and he’s late for it. He shrugged his jacket over his shoulders as he hurried out the door

All thoughts were pushed from his mind; last night, the lack of Shiro, the post it note with Lance’s number he tossed aside in his rush.

If Keith was honest, it could’ve been a lot worse. He made it in time for what his professor called “the most important slideshow slide you’ll see all year” and he managed to get notes from the person next to him.

His lecture went overtime and by the time it was over, Keith just wanted to go back and sleep. The intense lecture and the stress of being late had more of an effect on Keith than he’d like to admit. He felt exhausted and strained. The thought of the next assignment sent more waves of exhaustion through him. It was a big one and required much more effort and time than any other.

Keith finally made it back to the dorm and pushed open his door, letting out a deep sigh of relief. He tossed his notebooks on his desk and flopped down onto his bed to take a much-needed nap.

Mid-morning turned into early afternoon and Keith woke to the sun shining right on his face. Shiro must’ve returned at some point, because there was a wrapped sandwich sitting atop his stack of books. _Good timing, Shiro_ , he thought, feeling his stomach rumble in displeasure at its lack of contents.

He made his way to his desk to try and at least make a dent in his new task. And eat his sandwich.

An hour and 300 words later, Keith slammed his books shut and pushed back in his chair. He’ll do it later. The wind of the closing books flipped a bright piece of paper that caught Keith’s eye.

_Oh shit_. He knew exactly what it was.

It was Lance’s number, and he was probably expecting a message but it had completely slipped Keith’s mind. He hopped Lance wouldn’t be upset at his lack of response.

He pulled out his phone and pinned in the number.

**K: Hey Lance, it’s Keith**

**L: damn mullet, do u keep all boys waiting this long?**

**K: Mullet? I don’t have a mullet**

**L: keep telling urself that  
    whatre u doing tomorrow night?**

**K: Nothing?**

**L: cool. 4 th floor room 36. 7:30**

**K: So I don’t get a say in this?**

**L: nope. see u then**

Well, whether he likes it or not, Keith now had a social life. The one thing he was avoiding. It’ll only be a matter of time before something goes wrong. But then again, maybe things won’t go to shit. Lance is different from everyone he’s known, and Keith is hopeful at the unknown.

+++

“I’m out tomorrow night,” Keith said when Shiro walked through the door, head not lifting from his laptop.

“Oh? Where are you going?” Keith can hear Shiro unpacking a shopping bag from his trip into town.

“Lance invited me over.” Keith made an offended squeak when Shiro tossed a pot of noodles at his head for dinner.

“That’s great! Look at you, making friends.”

“It’s not like he’s giving me a choice,” Keith muttered, but before Shiro could ask what was mumbled, Keith spoke again. “He said you used to tutor him? Back in his first year.”

“Yeah, I did. For a month before his final exam. Poor kid. He was so down on himself because he was struggling with his chemistry. He tried really hard though. I was really proud of him by the end of that month.” Shiro was smiling, so his memories of Lance must be fond. Which was a good sign for Keith because Shiro surprisingly has a short temper. Clearly Lance wasn’t too annoying for him.

“How’d you end up tutoring him? Did he put out a flyer?”

Shiro scoffed a laugh. “No. Matt told me he needed help so I offered to help him out.”

“Shiro, always so charitable. So he knows Matt too?” Keith was right. Lance did know everyone.

“Yeah, Matt’s sister is one of his best friends.”

+++

_Thirty three, thirty four, thirty five, thirty six_.

Keith stood in front of the worn door that opened to the room Lance had sent him to. He looked down at his open message, double checking he was at the right place. He knocked lightly on the door, mildly afraid that if he put any real effort into the knock, he’d break right through the old door.

It was like Lance was waiting at the door for him, because as soon as he knocked, the door flung open to a disapproving Lance, arms crossed and foot tapping.

“4 minutes late, mullet. You really do know how to keep a boy waiting,” Lance tsked and broke out into a smile, leaving the door open for Keith and returning to his spot on his bed. Keith stepped in and shut the door behind him but stood awkwardly in front of it.

“Hunk’s making pasta and I have _The Empire Strikes Back_. Come. Sit.” Lance patted the bed next to him and Keith went and took a seat. “Hunk should be done soon but he said it’s cool if we start without him.”

Lance moved the laptop from the bed to a stool to give them more room on the bed and a better view of the screen. Instead of watching the opening sequence to the film, Keith’s eyes roamed the room, inspecting the décor and odd choice of posters. Posters of films he’d never heard of hung above the beds and fairy lights were strung up around the window. His eyes caught on a simple acoustic guitar resting in the corner. He wondered who it was that played and if they were any good. Maybe he’d ask later.

His attention was drawn back by the commotion on screen and about ten minutes in the door swings open to the man he recognised from the coffee shop and Lance had spoken of as Hunk. He was carrying a large container of pasta. It was still hot and was steaming up the walls it was held in.

“Smells amazing, as always,” Lance commented, leaping up to fetch some plastic bowls from a bag at the end of his bed. “Did you find out if Pidge is can make it?”

“Nah. She said she has a prac early tomorrow morning that she needs to prep for.” Hunk placed the container on a desk and took the bowls from Lance, who then hopped back next to Keith.

“So this is Keith.” Lance pointed at Keith and Hunk gave a small wave before returning to dishing out the food. “And that’s Hunk. But you already sort of met Hunk.”

“Yeah. He gave me that muffin.” Keith smiled fondly at the memory. “Thanks for that, by the way. It was good.”

Hunk walked over and handed two bowls to the two sitting on the bed. “It was no problem. I always make extras anyway. Just habit from Lance always eating them.” He took his own bowl and sat next to Lance.

“Hey! It’s not my fault they’re so good and you just leave them out back. What am I supposed to do? Not eat them?”

“You can’t even keep your hands off other people’s either, apparently,” Keith added, smiling at Lance’s face of betrayal.

“Wow, Keith. I thought we were friends.” Lance gave Keith a light shove.

“I’ll leave for break and I’ll come back to half the cookies gone and crumbs all over Lance’s face and apron,” Hunk laughed, and Keith joined in, finding the image of Lance being caught red-handed stealing cookies amusing.

“Let’s just watch the movie. You’re both bullies,” Lance huffed and pressed play, forcing the room into silence, save for the scrape of plastic forks on plastic bowls.

Keith felt oddly comfortable in that room with Lance and Hunk. Much more than he did with Shiro and his friends. These guys were different. They didn’t know his past and they didn’t tip toe around him. They treated him like a friend they’d known for years. Hunk made sure Keith ate until he felt like he was going to explode. Which Keith of course had no issue with because the pasta was delicious and the first real meal he’s had in a long time. Lance had tossed Keith a blanket when he noticed he didn’t have a jacket and made sure he was warm. It was strange to Keith. It was strange and something Keith had never experienced before. Never had his own past friends (“friends”) acted like this around him. It made him feel warm and welcome, and is something he decided he would like to experience again.

Keith left after the movie. He thanked Hunk for the food and Hunk forced the left overs on him, claiming that “Lance had a year and a half of left overs, it’s only fair if you have them for one night” when Lance objected. Lance waked him to the door and thanked him for coming. He told Keith to expect a message from him soon about another movie night and that Keith gets to choose the food for it.

He waved Keith off and Keith walked back to his dorm, placing the pasta down and flopping down onto his bed. The warm feeling and promise of another movie night was replaced with a cold vice of anxiety that ripped through him. It was only a matter of time before they turn on him. They’ll find out about his past and push him away. Keith knows one way or another that he’s going to ruin this friendship. He knew he should never have humoured Lance. He should’ve kept walking. He could’ve avoided having friends, then having said friends hurt him or leave.

But at the same time he can’t help but feel somewhat glad that he met Lance. Lance makes him feel warm and wanted, and he knows that Lance is probably the kind of person to look past his past and Hunk could work them through any conflict. But there’s that possibility that he can’t. That he won’t. And that scared Keith more than anything right now. He got a taste of what he never knew he needed and now he doesn’t want to lose.

Lance was something else. Something Good.


	4. Chapter 4

It was Wednesday morning, and Keith was lying in bed thinking of something to occupy his day off with. He could go and see if any more places are hiring. He could study, but that would only take up so much time before he would have nothing to do again. He could go into town again, but that was more effort than Keith wanted to spend. He sighed and stared at the roof. He wished the guitarist was back playing. It would help him fall back to sleep and waste half the day. He’d grown accustomed to dozing off or studying to the music that filtered in from the mystery musician every day or so and it was quiet without it.

Maybe he could watch a movie. He wasn’t a movie person so he wouldn’t even know where to start looking for a movie to watch. He could always watch the next Star Wars movie, but a part of him wanted to save it to watch with Lance.

Lance. Of course. Lance would know of some movies Keith could watch. Maybe he’d give Keith a list that he can use when he has down time, which is a lot of the time since his job hunt has been unsuccessful.

**K: Lance, what are some good movies I could watch?**

He didn’t get an instant reply, so Lance must have been in a lecture. Ten minutes passed and Lance answered.

**L: oh dude I have so many u have to watch. since u hadnt seen star wars im gonna guess u havent seen ghostbusters so start with that. literally everyone has seen that movie. its light and fun itll put u in a good mood. then watch alien but skip alien 3. u also gotta watch predator oh man there are so many u gotta watchhhhhhh ill make u a list**

**K: Thanks. I think I’ll start with Ghostbusters then**

Lance was ridiculous. But Keith found it endearing.

He loaded up the movie and let it take him through the morning. Lance was right. It was a fun movie. The special effects were laughable at times but otherwise, Keith enjoyed it. Not to mention a ton of references just started to make sense to him.

Keith was staring at his books, contemplating study when his phone buzzed.

**L: so. ghostbusters. u like it?**

Keith should really have expected a ten-page questionnaire from Lance about the movie.

**K: It was good. I liked it**

**L: GOOD. hey come to the cafe. im bored and theres no one here**

**K: What if I’m busy?**

**L: ur not. i have ur timetable and i know ur free on wednesdays  
    also im ur only friend so**

Damn. Lance had him there. Oh well. He may as well go. He could bring his books and study a bit too. The café had a nice atmosphere and maybe it would help him write more than 100 words.

**K: I’ll be there shortly**

\---

Lance greeted Keith as soon as he walked through the door. Keith dumped his books down in a booth near the counter then walked up to see Lance.

“No Hunk?” Keith asked.

“Nah. He left sick about an hour ago.” Lance dried some cups as he spoke. “I’ve been bored out of my mind and there’s literally no customers today.”

“That’s probably because there’s no fresh baked goods from Hunk to attract them today.”

“Excuse you, I attract just as many people too! I attract all the ladies.” Lance flicked the tea towel over his shoulder and leaned on the counter, flashing Keith a cocky smile.

Keith looked around the shop. Two guys sat over open books and another older man, probably a teacher, sat reading a book. “Yeah, this place is really crawling with women. I didn’t know that invisibility was in style this year.”

“Shut up.” Lance threw the tea towel at Keith. “You want a coffee?”

“Sure.” Keith folded up the towel and placed it back on the counter. “Black with-“

“No sugar. Got it.” Lance winked then disappeared behind the coffee machine.

Lance remembered his order. Surely it wasn’t that odd that it stuck out in his mind. Or maybe that was just Lance, remembering everyone’s orders. Keith refused to believe he was special enough for Lance to remember his order amongst hundreds of others that came through between their first meeting and their introduction in town.

“Here you go. On the house.” Lance reappeared and handed Keith the cup.

“Can you even do that?” Keith would feel bad if Lance lost his job over a free coffee.

“Probably?” Lance shrugged it off. “Doesn’t matter. You’re doing us a favour. The amount of shit that gets thrown out because it doesn’t get used in time is amazing. Sometimes we get to take the last of the old beans home if a new order has arrived.”

“You sure you don’t take them just because they’re sitting out?” Keith’s confidence has grown a lot around Lance and he likes that he can tease him without putting him off.

“Rude.”

Their conversation was broken when a woman walked through the door. Lance smiled and greeted her and Keith stepped aside. Lance went through his routine; take order, make coffee, wish them a nice day, but with an added flirty-ness that made the young woman giggle and smile. Keith stepped back up when she left, but he noticed the background music this time.

“What station is it?” He recognised the language but he couldn’t quite place it.

“It’s some Latin-American station I found. It reminds me of home.” Lance continued at the curious look on Keith’s face. “I’m from Cuba. I moved here with my family when I was 8 for my dad’s job. We go back sometimes but I still miss it. I miss being by the beach.” Lance pulled his mouth flat but it bounced back into a smile in no time.

Keith was surprised at the ease in which Lance opened up to him without prompt. He wondered if Lance was like that with everyone. He probably was, but it made Keith feel special, like Lance trusted him.

“What about you? Where are you from?” Lance had pulled out a cookie from the jar and began eating it. He offered Keith one but he shook his head no.

“I’m from Texas. I- what? What’s so funny?” Lance was laughing but Keith couldn’t figure out why.

“You. From Texas!” Lance spat out between laughs. “All I can see now is you in a cowboy hat with a piece of straw in your mouth and overdone cowboy boots, oh my God, Keith!”

Keith watched Lance as he laughed. He found it hard to be mad at Lance for laughing at his origin because soon Keith was laughing too.

“You know,” Keith spoke when they’d calmed down, “I’ve never been on a ranch in my life.”

“I was kinda hoping you were from one because at least there would be a decent explanation for that mullet.”

“It’s not a mullet, you asshole.” Keith watched as Lance burst out laughing again. He admired how joyous Lance was, and the way his blue eyes lit up whenever he spoke to Keith.

They fell into a silence and Keith picked at the countertop while Lance tapped his fingers.

“Alright,” Lance announced after a minute. “I’m bored again. Wanna learn how to make a coffee?”

Keith was a little taken aback by Lance’s proposal. What if he broke the machine? “Uhh, sure?”

“Great!” Lance bounced and ushered Keith back behind the counter and threw him a spare apron.

“Don’t worry if you don’t get it right away. It took me a whole week to get it right.” Lance reassured as he instructed and showed Keith what to do.

“Alright. Your go.” Lance stepped back and let Keith begin.

Keith looked over the machine and processed what Lance had said. It didn’t look that hard, but Lance had said it took him a week to master it, so maybe it was deceiving.

He collected a single shot of grinds and tamped it level, moving to place it in the dispenser. He made sure to place it straight and lock it all the way in. He then placed a cup underneath the head and pressed the button for single shot. Lance had told him to go slow and leave the milk for when the coffee was done, but Keith thought he could handle it. He took the milk and filled the jug a third of the way and placed it under the steam wand. He let it froth another third and then took the finished cup over to the bench. He stirred in sugar and the milk, only letting a little of the froth mix in before it was time. He found it satisfying to watch the frothed milk fall over the coffee as he did it. He was about to say he was done, but then he realised that he was forgetting something. He looked around and found it – the chocolate powder. He sprinkled it on top and turned to Lance.

“Done.” Keith stepped aside and allowed Lance to move up to it to inspect it.

“I-How-You-That’s… You lied when you said you’d never done this before. There’s no way it took you one turn to get it.” Lance studied the coffee trying to look for any major flaws.

“Nope. That was my first time doing that. I guess I’m just a natural.” Keith stood proudly in his achievement.

“Whatever,” Lance said and Keith could’ve sworn he heard an underlying insecurity within his tone. “I can still make any coffee faster than you, so…”

Keith didn’t dare prod the situation anymore. He didn’t mean to show up Lance but it really was easy to make that coffee.

The atmosphere shifted for the last fifteen minutes of Lance’s shift but Keith didn’t mention it. He engaged in the chit chat like he did earlier. Lance told him stories of stupid and rude customers and Keith listened and offered a comment here and there.

“Cool. Shay’s here now so I can clock out. Give me five minutes and I’ll be right out.” Lance disappeared out the back and Keith wandered over to collect his books. A tall woman with short, brown hair stepped out in an apron and took Lance’s post behind the counter. That must’ve been Shay. Shortly after Lance stepped out gestured for Keith to come with him as he went to leave.

He didn’t expect Lance to want to walk back with him, but it was nice. He appreciated the company. As much of a loner as he likes to think he is, Keith really does enjoy the company of people he likes, which, now were Shiro and Lance.

Lance continued telling stories of crazy customers as they walked. One lady apparently specifically ordered a coffee, but when she got it, she said she didn’t like coffee and that Lance had scammed her. Lance had to pass her off to the manager because she was so determined to get her money back even though she got what she ordered and the menu says what is in it.

Another time a kid threw up all over the floor and then the parents took the kid and ran, leaving Lance to mop it all up because Hunk couldn’t stomach it.

Keith found himself outside of his door with Lance.

“You didn’t have to walk me back to my dorm, you know.”

“I know, but I might have had to protect you from a big scary man.” Lance wiggled his eyebrows and crossed his arms.

Keith scoffed. “With those twig arms? You couldn’t save me from a rat.”

“Well now I regret walking you back at all,” Lance huffed. His fake annoyance fell back to his usual smile. “Thanks for coming down. It was fun. You bought your books but you didn’t get to study so I should leave you to it. Don’t want to distract you anymore. Oh! Text me when you’ve seen Alien!”

“Will do. Goodbye, Lance.” Keith sent him a small smile and entered his room. He sat on his bed, that warm feeling filling his body again. A smile played on his lips as he thought back. Lance was right. It was fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im a barista but this is what i choose to do with my training
> 
> (keith made a cappuccino in case u wanted to know)


End file.
